Cardiff City have confirmed that Brendan Rodgers has recalled former Celtic loanee Filip Benkovic. The Leicester City manager has been concerned about the lack of football that Benkovic mad during this latest loan spell, his third since signing for the Premiership side.
Ironically the only successful spell came under Rodgers while at Celtic but it appears that the Croatian central defender is not in Rodgers’ plans at Leicester and is available for a transfer or indeed another loan spell.
“Cardiff City can confirm that Filip Benković has been recalled by parent club Leicester City,” the Welsh club confirmed on social media. “We’d like to thank Filip for his services and wish him the best for the future.”
Everything Celtic was quick to point out the opportunity for Celtic here given the long-term injury to Christopher Jullien and the abysmal form of Irish captain Shane Duffy during his season long loan at Celtic from Brighton. Indeed maybe Cardiff would be interested in taking Duffy off our hands for the remaining months of the loan given that they are now a defender down?
“Former Celtic defender Filip Benković has been recalled by Leicester City following a spell in Wales,” Everything Celtic tweeted. “It’s understood that the Croatian isn’t in Rodgers plans and the club will look to move him on. Still only 23 years old, would you take him at Celtic?”
🇭🇷 | Filip Benković
Former Celtic defender Filip Benković has been recalled by Leicester City following a spell in Wales.
It’s understood that the Croatian isn’t in Rodgers plans & the club will look to move him on.
Still only 23 years old, would you take him at Celtic? https://t.co/NTgMYXtNEP
— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) January 6, 2021
Former Celtic loanee Filip Benkovic been recalled by Leicester from his loan club, Cardiff City
Made just the one appearance, which came on the 29th of December
— Lewis 🍋 (@LewisLaird01) January 6, 2021
Neil Lennon confirmed in his pre-match interview at Ibrox on Saturday that the French defender, a £7m signing from Toulouse in July 2019 will be missing for around 4 months.
“He’s very important player but it’s a bad injury. We are going to lose him for quite a period of time,” the Celtic manager said to Sky Sports. “It will be maybe three or four months so it’s a hammer blow for us.”
Lennon also confirmed that as a consequence of this injury to Jullien, Celtic would be looking at bringing in a central defender in this window. While Benkovic has struggled since returning to his parent club and the subsequent loans to Bristol City and now Cardiff, there is no doubt that the big Croatian was a success in his time at Celtic under Rodgers.
Surely worth looking at?
